The Best Carpet Cleaners for Pets, According to a Husky Puppy Owner

I'm the proud owner of two large dogs: a husky puppy and a 5-year-old German Shepherd, I love them to death, but like any animal, they can be incredibly gross. Isn't it funny how we talk about how cute our pets are, but never about their messes?

Whether you have a fur baby who has lots of accidents and vomiting incidents or you're gifting a carpet cleaner to someone who has a pet that's a frequent mess-maker, we're here to help you find the best carpet cleaner for pets that makes dealing with their occasional messes much more bearable, a lot less frustrating, and slightly less gross.

Best Carpet Cleaners for Pets

What to Consider

If you've begun the process of shopping for a carpet cleaner, you're probably a bit overwhelmed with the number of different brands and models that are on the market. They vary in shape, size, and of course, price. Here are some key features you should pay attention to prior to making a purchase or gifting one.

➥ Type of Machine

Carpet cleaners for pets are either portable or upright cleaners. Portable cleaners typically have smaller tanks, so they are lighter and a good choice for spot cleaning. If you want to clean an entire room or rug, we recommend getting an upright cleaner that you can push around, so you can cover more ground in less time.

➥ Hose Tool and Brushes

For whatever reason, it seems like pets always make their messes in the most inconvenient locations. We highly recommend opting for a carpet cleaner that has a hose tool that you can use to scrub stains from carpet, upholstery, and other hard-to-reach areas like a staircase where upright cleaners can't always reach. Besides that, ensure your carpet cleaner has a powered rotating brush so you don't have to scrub as hard.

➥ Tank Size

The larger the tank(s) your machine has, the longer you can use the machine since you won't have to empty its dirty water tank or refill its clean water one. Our colleagues at Good Housekeeping, also note that a 64-ounce tank filled with solution and water will add 4 pounds of weight to the machine.

"If you know you will be frequently cleaning up stains or cleaning large areas, a larger machine might be handier than a smaller one," said Carolyn Forté, executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab.

Now that you know what to look for in a good carpet cleaner for pets, discover the best ones below that are vetted by our cleaning experts. We're confident you'll find one that'll help you or a loved one tackle any pet mess and get rugs and carpets looking like new in practically no time.

→ Need a new vacuum? Check out our guides to vacuums for pet hair, stick vacuums, handheld vacuums, and robot vacuums, as well as our full guide to carpet cleaners.